3,3-Dimethyl-2-alkoxyoxiranes, which are also called 1-alkoxy-2-methylpropene oxides, and be synthesized either by reaction of the corresponding halogen compound, e.g. .alpha.-chloroisobutyraldehyde, with an alkali metal alkoxide, e.g., sodium methylate, or by oxidation of 1-alkoxy-2-methylpropenes with atomic oxygen.
Both processes are very expensive and suitable solely for the production of laboratory quantities. The manufacture of atomic oxygen, particularly, is too expensive for industrial usage.
The 3,3-dimethyl-2-alkoxyoxiranes are useful as stabilizers for chlorinated hydrocarbons. On account of their high reactivity, they are also useful as valuable synthetic intermediates. For example, by reaction with methanol, rather stable acetals are obtained which are suitable, inter alia, as solvents. Therefore, there is economic interest in manufacturing these compounds from readily accessible raw materials in an industrially simple procedure.